When ex-DGP of Haryana SPS Rathore, after his conviction for a mere six months in the Ruchika molestation case, walked out of court smiling, he forgot one crucial thing — it was 2009 and not 1990. Nineteen years ago when he molested 14-year-old Ruchika this country was much different. These crucial years of our national history have seen the rise of a watchful civil society. It is clear that in the coming days pressure of this civil society will make sure that Rathore and others like him do not dare to have such a shameless smile any more.
One has a feeling of relief at the constant pressure that could be built up by the media and civil society in this case. When the entire system — police, prosecutors, judiciary, politicians and government failed the victims, there are at least some forces which have stood for justice. In these 19 traumatic years this is possibly the first time when the hapless family of Ruchika has some sense of relief.
In this grossly unequal fight they finally have some light at the end of the tunnel, however faint it may be. Someone may term it as media hounding but this puritanism looks meaningless when you think of two decades when the innocent and defenceless Girhotra family and friends of Ruchika were mentally and physically hounded.
Those following this heartbreaking account of a young girl committing suicide after molestation and mental torture by a custodian of the law will be amazed as to how such things could take place with such impunity and that too in a place like Panchkula, almost a part of Chandigarh. Rathore not only got away with the molestation but also used all means of personal and departmental power and influence to ruin the family members of Ruchika, including registering many cases against her brother and sending him to jail. In this story there are so many chapters filled with the blood and cries of the Girhotra family. Any one of these incidents — molestation of Ruchika, non-registration of FIR for years, framing of her brother in false cases, his torture in the police station in the presence of Rathore, accused getting promotion after promotion, deletion of Section 306 IPC from the chargesheet and lastly a widely criticised six-month sentence for Rathore — could result in a full blown controversy. But those were the days when such things happened and victims cried helplessly and finally accepted it as their fate like the Girhotra family did for years.
Rathore may actually be wondering at the storm his smirk has raised in the country. Even when he did the unpardonable act and when in 1993 in the face of cruel pressure Ruchika finally decided to quit by taking poison, there was not so much of anger around. But now people all over the country are baying for his blood. In fact, Rathore has become a hate figure all around the world, courtesy the net community. Credit for this change goes to civil society at large.
After the Mumbai attack the country saw the same anger. People from all walks of life came forward not only to hold hands but also to force the system to mend its ways. If our homeland security has improved in recent times the anger expressed by civil society immediately after the attack is also one of the reasons for that.
The Jessica Lall murder case is another such example. Accused Manu Sharma was almost about to walk free. Powerful people — police officers, top lawyers and politicians — got the case severely damaged. It was a crusade by civil activists which saw to it that justice was done. The same civil outrage forced Pramod Muthalik and company to beat a hasty retreat after their futile attempt to ‘purify’ society by assaulting young girls in Mangalore bars.
One can blame the media for creating hype on such issues. Many times the media blows things out of proportion. Commercial considerations like TRP do play a role in such coverage. But one has to agree that media can only blow up an issue; it cannot create one out of a vacuum. It can express, channelise and at times incite the anger in civil society but then it cannot generate the unrest on its own.
A more interesting and welcome development is the reaction of people at large on these issues. Ours is considered to be too tolerant a society. ‘Chalta hai’ is a perfect tag for our civil life. From corruption to ill-governance everything is accepted a way of life, or for that matter, a result of some old sin. Historically our people have meekly tolerated misuse of power. Barring the independence struggle the people in cities have rarely risen to protest against misrule. But of late the voice of protests has become shriller. Chalta Hai is finally turning to a ‘Sab Nahi cahlta hai’.
The molestation took place in the office of the Haryana Lawn Tennis Association where Rathore was the president. Later on his behest the association barred Ruchika, a budding tennis player, from its courts. The same association has now thrown Rathore out. Clubs are cancelling his membership and people are protesting in front of his house. For all these years, in spite of such serious misconduct Rathore succeeded in managing his promotions and good posts. Now there is a serious move to strip him of his medals which is the biggest disgrace for any uniformed officer. In spite of such serious charges he managed to get the blessings of leaders of all parties. Now none of his political patrons want to own him up. Various ranks of the Haryana Police aided Rathore in his misdeeds. Now the same Haryana Police has deleted all references to Rathore, the ex-DGP from its website.
The Girhotra family had to sell their house at Panchkula and shift to Shimla. This was because of constant torture inflicted on them by powerful Rathore and his subordinates. After two decades, we hear that Rathore and his family are planning to flee the same Panchkula because people in their neighbourhood have decided to boycott him. Rathore’s muscle men used to terrorise young Ruchika and her family when they stepped out of the house. Now the tormentor himself is confined to his house and not venturing to come out. There was a day when the Girhotra family was pleading for police protection. Today in view of demonstrations in front of his house a large contingent of police is guarding Rathore and his family.
The tables have clearly turned and the credit for this goes to a more alert and responsive civil society and, unfortunately, not to our established system which should have done this much earlier. Apart from the Ruchika and Jessica Lall cases, the civil society has reacted sharply and effectively in many cases like the murder of Nitish Katara in Ghaziabad, death of Rizwanur Rahman in Kolkata or the murder of Priyadarshini Matto in Delhi. But all these cases took place in urban areas and mighty people were involved. It was absolute misuse of power and disdain for law that induced citizens to come to the rescue of helpless victims.
Such strong reaction of citizens assures that blatant misuse of power cannot continue endlessly but it also speaks volumes about our criminal justice system. The outrage seen in the case of Ruchika is a rare phenomenon, but unfortunately such crimes and these situations are not so uncommon. In rural areas and small towns of our country, away from media glare, many such cases take place every day but all those victims do not get the same kind of coverage or support. After this outcry the Girhotra family may finally get justice and Rathore may suffer for his deeds. But many more faceless victims of similar situations still have to pin their hopes only with a hopeless criminal justice system, and that is the saddest part of this story.